The recruit who came from Mizhi was, of course, Li Zicheng.
He and his nephew Li Guo had joined Wang Zuogua's group together. Because Li Zicheng could read and write, and on top of that he had solid martial skill and some real-world experience, he was quickly promoted into what could only be described as the "management tier" inside the bandit army. He was allowed into the inner council meetings where strategy was discussed.
But there was still a limitation.
He and Li Guo were only two men. They had no followers of their own. They could not form a unit, which meant they could not become a proper captain or command a squad.
So when Li Zicheng finally spoke up, Wang Zuogua, Miao Mei, Feishanhu, and Dahonglang all turned their heads toward him.
"Oh? The Chuang Jiang, Li Zicheng, Name is speaking now. What do you want to say?"
Li Zicheng calmly cupped his hands.
"In the time I have been under Brother Wang's command, I have heard the soldiers talk often about Bai Family Fort. A few veteran soldiers mentioned that we have already failed to take it several times."
He paused slightly, choosing his words carefully.
"One of those times, we were defeated by strange catapults and giant crossbows. There were also massive stones that flew unnaturally far, as if thrown by monsters. Another time, we were beaten back by strange explosive devices and a formation of more than ten fire muskets."
Wang Zuogua's expression immediately stiffened.
"Old matters like that do not need to be brought up."
Li Zicheng thought to himself.
So the moment you hear defeat, your face cannot hold it anymore? This kind of temperament, even bandits know it is shallow. A real warlord should learn from failure, not bury it out of shame.
Still, he kept his tone steady.
"I bring this up only to remind everyone. Bai Family Fort is not normal. It is likely not an ordinary landlord estate. Behind it, there is probably some unusual force supporting them, supplying strange weapons."
Wang Zuogua narrowed his eyes.
"What kind of strange force? The government?"
Li Zicheng shook his head immediately.
"Clearly not the government. The government would not equip militia forces with armor and firearms. The power behind Bai Family Fort is likely something even more lawless than us. If we rush into battle without understanding it first, I fear…"
"Enough nonsense."
Dahonglang cut him off sharply.
"You've seen a bit of the world so you think you can lecture us? You come in here and immediately start shaking morale?"
Li Zicheng did not lose his temper.
"That is not my intention. I only think warfare should be handled carefully."
Dahonglang sneered.
"What, am I supposed to investigate the ancestral eighteen generations of Bai Yuan's family and check which ancestor is secretly protecting him?"
Li Zicheng fell silent.
Wang Zuogua raised his hand and stopped the argument.
"Fourth brother, quiet down."
Then he turned to Li Zicheng.
"Chuang Jiang, Name, you are overthinking this. What hidden power could be stronger than us? In this world, is there any bandit more desperate than I am?"
Li Zicheng said nothing.
Wang Zuogua continued.
"As long as we send scouts, gather intelligence, and lure them into an ambush, one strike will decide everything."
That ended the conversation.
Li Zicheng cupped his hands again and said no more.
Not long after, he used the excuse of relieving himself and slipped out of the main camp.
Then he grabbed his nephew Li Guo and dragged him into a forest behind the camp.
Li Guo blinked.
"Uncle, what is going on?"
Li Zicheng spoke without hesitation.
"Pack up. We are leaving."
Li Guo froze.
"?"
Li Zicheng's voice turned colder.
"Wang Zuogua is trash. Not worth following. And he is also not far from death. Staying here will only drag us down with him."
Li Guo swallowed.
"Then where do we go?"
Li Zicheng thought for a moment.
"Just the two of us is not enough to achieve anything. Even if we stay under Wang Zuogua, we will never be valued. We need our own foundation."
Li Guo immediately asked.
"Where do we get a foundation?"
Li Zicheng answered.
"We go back to Mizhi first. Gather the villagers and elders from our hometown. Build our own force. Then take that group and go to Luochuan to join Bu Zhan Ni. That way, we will no longer be just mouths in someone else's council. At least we can become squad leaders."
Li Guo's eyes lit up as understanding dawned.
"So if we become squad leaders, we will have real say."
Li Zicheng chuckled.
"Exactly. With our own men, we will have the capital to carve out a future. With our abilities, what is there to fear?"
Li Guo nodded hard.
"Then let us return to Mizhi."
The two of them quietly left Wang Zuogua's camp, slipped into mountain paths, and traveled day and night back toward their hometown in Mizhi County.
Meanwhile, when the militia first entered the mountains, Li Dao Xuan was still able to observe them.
His field of vision had already expanded several li across the Huanglong Mountain region. But the mountain itself was too vast. Even the combined areas of Cheng County, Heyang County, and the Tongguan corridor were still smaller than Huanglong Mountain.
What Li Dao Xuan could see now was only a small section of its southern edge.
He could only watch as the militia moved toward the edge of his vision.
Cheng Xu raised his head and performed a full respectful bow toward the floating cloud that had followed them all the way.
Then the entire militia stepped out of the box world and vanished from Li Dao Xuan's sight.
Li Dao Xuan sighed softly.
"Do not die out there."
That was all he could say.
He shifted his vision back, and soon returned to the skies above Bai Family Fort.
Below, Bai Family Fort was bustling with life.
By Horse Hoof Lake, a group of fishermen were pulling in nets.
It was autumn. Farmers on land were harvesting crops, and for fishermen, this was also the peak season for shrimp and crab. Around this time of year, seafood became plump and full of flavor.
Horse Hoof Lake had been artificially created by Li Dao Xuan himself, filled by forcefully pouring water into the land. At first, there were no fish or shrimp inside it.
But somehow, life had still found its way in.
A year had passed. Fish were still not many and not particularly large, but shrimp had already grown noticeably.
The fishing nets had wide gaps, designed to catch only large shrimp while letting the small ones escape.
Li Dao Xuan watched as several fishing boats already carried baskets full of live shrimp. The shrimp bounced inside the baskets, lively and restless, slapping against each other.
"Faster, faster, the next train is coming."
A fisherman dipped a basket of shrimp into the water and handed it to his wife.
"Take this batch. Catch the next train to the Gao Village commercial district. Sell them while they are still alive."
The woman moved with practiced speed.
She grabbed the heavy basket and ran toward the train station.
Just as she arrived, the train pulled in.
Without hesitation, she climbed aboard with both hands and feet, moving like she had done this a thousand times before.
She was not alone. Many women were doing the same, each carrying baskets of fresh shrimp.
Soon, the small train carried them all away, heading toward Gao Village at full speed.
With the current purchasing power of Gao Village, the moment the shrimp arrived at the commercial district, they would be sold out instantly. After all, it was meat, and meat never stayed long.
Li Dao Xuan smiled with satisfaction, an expression that could only be described as an uncle's gentle proud grin.
This was the kind of life he liked seeing. Small people living correctly, steadily, and with purpose.
Then suddenly, a sound broke the calm.
Bang.
Li Dao Xuan quickly turned his attention toward the source.
Inside a nearby forest, Bai Yuan stood holding a modified flintlock arquebus.
He had just fired a shot.
But his target, a bird in the sky, had already flown away unharmed.
Bai Yuan stared upward with disappointment written all over his face.
He sighed deeply.
"No matter how much I practice, I still cannot hit a flying bird."
His expression turned gloomy.
"It seems the Six Arts of a Gentleman, especially archery, should just be crossed out."
He looked genuinely defeated, as if his entire scholarly identity had just been erased by a single escaping bird.
Footnotes & Trivia
[1] Autumn Shrimp & Market Logic (Late Ming)
Shrimp and crab were considered seasonal luxuries. In famine-prone regions, protein from water sources was often the first stabilizer of rural diets. Selling live seafood fetched significantly higher prices—hence the race to market and the early use of transport links when available.
[2] The Six Arts (六艺) and Ironic Failure
The Confucian Six Arts—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, mathematics—were ideals, not expectations. Late-Ming scholars frequently joked about "selective cultivation," quietly abandoning the ones that involved sweat, danger, or public embarrassment. Archery was usually the first to go.